Wireless Internet, a comfy couch or chair, and a delicious cup of coffee. To many, this is the ultimate combo platter of perfection. Freelancers, students, artists and entrepreneurs (whatever that means) can be found all over the glorious island of Manhattan sprawled out with their laptops proudly perched in front of them, debating if that third soy, quad shot latte is really a wise decision.
But where are these bastions of café culture to be found? And no, we are not talking about Starbucks (
those bathrooms! EW.) Swill your java, relax on that comfy lounger, and comment away on how life changing this list is. We have some al fresco options, natch, because we all know writers and artists are notoriously sun deprived…let’s get some Vitamin D this year, shall we?
1.
Grounded
2.
Everyman Espresso
3.
Bryant Park
4.
Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
5.
Cocoa Bar NYC
6.
Ninth Street Espresso (Chelsea Market)
7.
peacefood cafe
8.
Roasting Plant (West Village)
9.
Kaffe 1668
10.
88 Orchard
1. Grounded 28 Jane Street @ 8th Ave. A hidden organic coffee shop and tea house that has a regular crowd, close quarters, and it’s kind of taboo to come here during the week and um…talk. Don’t even think about holding your group project meeting here, NYU-ers because the Oscar-winning screenwriter at the table next to you will shoot you the evil eye.
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THE BASICS: Their
menu is far from the traditional coffee house finds. Coffee beans are organic, and the tea selection is thorough. Smug tea-swiggers, this place will soon become your mecca.
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MUNCHIES: The lemon bars and peanut butter cups the size of Paul Bunyan’s fist are the nosh de jour. Also, the turkey, Brie and arugula sandwich on ciabatta is a staple in my tummy. Also, their HOMEMADE ICE CREAM makes this the crème de la crème of coffee shops.
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WI-FI: Free, duh. There is a sign that says there is a 90-minute limit, but I have never seen this enforced and if it ever is, Grounded will promptly be removed from this list.
2. Everyman Espresso 136 East 13th Street @ 3rd Ave.
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| Everyman Espresso Hours: M-Sa 8am to 8pm and Sun. 9am-8pm |
The baristas are colorful and friendly and I swear to you whatever they do to that espresso, it’s illegal. Great place to meet with friends, or get work done. When the weather is delightful, the huge doors and windows are open, so the breeze is blowin’ in and you feel like you were on your own patio…if patios in New York existed.
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THE BASICS: Counter culture coffee is served (if you don’t know, now you know) and the milk is local from upstate New York. Locavores, rejoice!
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MUNCHIES: The standard pastry items: croissants, brownies, cookies, etc. Nothing mind blowing, but I have witnessed people come in with kimchee and instant Udon noodles so I guess you can bring in your own snacks? Don’t quote us on this.
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WI-FI: Free and going strong (except that one time the power went out!).
3. Bryant Park 40th-42nd Street @ 5th/6th Ave. What? You thought all the best spots were below 14
th street? We know it’s not a café, but way better in the warmer months. Tons of outdoor tables and chairs, a gorgeous grassy lawn, and tons of food and beverage options surrounding the park.
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THE BASICS: Before you park it on the grassy knoll, stop into
Lily O’Brien’s Chocolate Cafe. Not only do they have A-MAZING chocolate treats, chocolate pastries, chocolate dreams, chocolate drinks, they have one of the finest iced coffees in town.
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MUNCHIES: Everything your heart desires. We’re looking at you, Midtown dens of mediocrity. But we like Chipotle (42
nd St. @ 5
th Ave.). And Prêt A Manger (42
nd St. @ 6
th Ave) has awesome salads….so if we must, we have options.
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WI-FI: The network has been recently update to accomodate more people, at faster connectivity - we love it!
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| Housing Works Cafe Hours: Mon-Fri 10am to 9pm, Sat/Sun 10am-5pm |
4. Housing Works Bookstore Café 126 Crosby Street b/t West Houston and Prince St.: Café culture used to dominate SoHo with beatniks, artists and all the riffraff that used to make Manhattan so fabulous. Housing Works kind of still gives out the flavor. All proceeds go to AIDS charities, so if you are in a do-goody spirit, buy a book, donate a book, volunteer or buy a cup of java and a delish bite to eat and cozy up in a dark corner at one of the highly coveted tables downstairs. This place is always full so get there earlier to get a prime seat. It’s just an awesome space and NYC is better because of it.
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THE BASICS: Fair trade coffee and tea and a decent selection of beer and wine are an unusual (but welcome!) addition. I’ve never seen anyone getting sloshed here while working on the next great American novel, but I’m waiting for it.
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MUNCHIES: Moroccan chicken soup and grilled cheese, anyone? How about a delicious steak sandwich with mozzarella? A surprisingly scrumptious menu is available at Housing Works, so you are covered for breakfast, lunch and dinner if you make a day of it (don’t act like you never have).
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Wi-Fi: If it get’s busy, it’s spotty. Also, outlets are scarce which I think is totally on purpose to keep people from lingering for…breakfast, lunch and dinner.
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Cocoa Bar Hours: M-Thurs 7am-Midnight, Fri 7am-1am,
Sat 8am-1am, Sun 8am-Midnight |
5. Cocoa Bar NYC 21 Clinton Street b/t Houston and Stanton St.: This place just makes you feel light and fresh and airy. During the day, the plush sofa benches in the back are amazing to sit and enjoy coffee. Order at the bar and stay for a while. Also, you can order cheapish bottles of wine which is rather perfect to me when I’m writing away and need a little liquid inspiration. Come about 7pm, Cocoa Bar dims the lights and enters into sexytime, so that might be your cue to tip your server and vamoose. Laptops are not sexy
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THE BASICS: Not only do they serve premium java, they frequently host cupping sessions and tastings. Tea lovers will enjoy their selection of black and green teas, tisanes and rooibos and also teas with hits of it’s namesake: chocolate.
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MUNCHIES: You won’t find a savory bite in the house – sweets for days but since we need to be productive, who wants a monster quiche to weigh us down?! Bring on the brownies! Their chocolate patties are amazing and change flavors on occasion. The moo-moo is my current favorite.
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Wi-fi: Fast, dependable and my only wish is there were more outlets. There are a few up at the bar, but good luck trying to procure one of those coveted spots. Story of my life.
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| Hours: Monday - Saturday: 7am to 9pm, Sundays: 8am to 7pm |
6.
Ninth Street Espresso – Chelsea Market: 75 Ninth Ave. We’re partial to the
Chelsea Market location of NSE and we’ll tell you why. You can grab a cup of their amazing coffee, head over to
Amy’s Bread for an amazing croissant, and then bop on over to
The Lobster Place Seafood Market for some fresh sushi. Plenty of seating throughout the market to park it for hours, watch tourists try to make sense of this indoor paradise, and be friendly when they ask you to take a picture. They don’t know any better!
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THE BASICS: Espresso, Macchiato, Cappuccino, Latte, Espresso, Americano, Mocha and House Coffee (hot or iced). Those are your options. Nothing more and nothing less. Don’t even try to order anything that involves a blender or syrups. The barista will scoff and walk away. But we kind of love that.
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MUNCHIES: Not here, but everywhere else in Chelsea Market. Every craving for any cuisine can be fulfilled here.
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Wi-Fi: A little slow at times but for the most part, a solid experience. The lighting is bleak, so don’t plan on coming here to read anything that can’t be deciphered from the light of your laptop screen. Also, good luck finding an outlet – I have yet to spot one!
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| peacefood cafe Hours: 9:30am – 10pm, 7 days/wk |
7.
Peacefood café –
460 Amsterdam Ave., @ 82nd St. An UWS vegan café that is always busy, filled with pretty people....and some ugly ones, too. This is a place to stop in for an hour (or two if its in the off-hours), but not a place to camp out. But it needs a mention because their coffee, teas and juices are heavenly and…there is free wi-fi.
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THE BASICS: All the basic coffee beverages, but the only milk you are getting here is soy or almond, so don’t even think of saying “just a touch of half-and-half” or the veggie diva behind the counter will shoot you a look like you just propped your alligator shoes on the counter. The Brazilian Nut Chai is a must try if you want a little spice in your life, and the Ginger-Aide will flush you out for DAYS. I know digestive advice isn’t what you thought you were going to get out of this top 10 list, but there you go. MOVEMENTS. FOR. DAYS.
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MUNCHIES: I am a carnivore, I’m not gonna lie. However, the
menu is all kinds of delicious at peacefood!
The Quinoa salad is insanely good,
the soy nuggets could give McDonalds a run for their money (and save you from coronary heart failure) and their desserts! THE DESSERTS! Just walk in and look at the case of amazingness. The raw key lime pie and the raspberry crumb bar will be in my grave with me when I die.
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Wi-Fi: You have to ask your server or the barista for the network password, but as soon as you have that gem, you’re ready to surf. Outlets are scarce, and this isn’t really the place to linger when it gets busy, especially on the weekends. I recommend coming during the late morning/early afternoon so you don’t feel the proverbial stare down from the staff. Or, just order 1 of their desserts every hour on the hour so you are earning your keep. This won’t seem like such a lofty proposition when you taste the desserts.
8.
Roasting Plant – 75 Greenwich Ave. @ 11th Street If Willy Wonka opened a coffee shop, it would look exactly like Roasting Plant. Filled with light, lounge benches on the walls, and the baristas are more like cheerful, cracked out bartenders. Which is fine by me!
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Roasting Plant Hours: Sun - Wed: 6am
- 11pm
Thurs - Sat: 6am - 12am |
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THE BASICS: Each cup of coffee is individually brewed (even the iced coffee) so if you aren’t into the real hardcore stuff, this might be too much intensity for you. There are 10 roasts to choose from. Pick your blend, and watch the beans tumble down. Like I said, it’s totally Willy Wonka!
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MUNCHIES: Three words: Chocolate Chip Cookie. And even better,
Serious Eats NY rated their cookie the best in NYC! Nooks and crannies for DAYS and in our mind, it is the perfect compliment with our cup of Joe.
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Wi-Fi: Free, obviously, and tons of outlets next to the wall, but unfortunately not by the tables. This isn’t the place to go if you like to sprawl out and prop legs up in the air (and wave ‘em like you just don’t care). The benches put you at an astute 90 degree angle, which is great for productivity, but not so great for comfort.
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Kaffe 1668 Hours: M-F 6:30am –
10pm and Sat/Sun 7:30am – 10pm |
9.
Kaffe 1668 – 275 Greenwich Street @ Murray StreetSuch a TriBeca gem, and hidden gem at that. The occasional mommy brigade will infiltrate, but they don’t stay for long because their kids are knocking down the stacks of tea tins at the front. Super sleek design, long
communal tables, as well as single tables by the wall and in the back make this a perfect place to sit back and relax. And did you hear about downstairs??? Shhhh….
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THE BASICS: They have six different single origin coffees from award winning roasters, freshly roasted each week. And it’s all direct trade which always makes us (and the world) happy. And to say it more simply, the coffee is really yummy. Oh, and it’s brewed by the cup which makes it extra yummy. And the tea is vast and plentiful here with a diverse list of greens, whites, herbals and black teas to choose from. Happy Seeping!
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MUNCHIES: Sandwiches and sweets, but nothing that will blow your mind. If you get hungry, Whole Foods is nearby and you already know there are bountiful options at that world buffet!
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Wi-Fi: Ask the barista for the password and enjoy the lightening quick speed, which is generally faster upstairs than downstairs. Outlets are plentiful, and lots of seating to park it for hours.
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88 Orchard Hours: Mon-Wed 7:30AM-10PM Thurs 7:30AM-11PM
Fri 7:30AM-Midnight Sat 8:30AM-Midnight Sun 8:30AM-7PM |
10.
88 Orchard – (88 Orchard Street @ Broome St.) I prefer this café in the winter rather than the summer because you kind of feel like you’re in a cave, and I prefer caves in the winter, not the summer. But I leave this up to you to decide. Hipster personified at this LES coffee den, but that’s ok. A hipster never hurt anyone J
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THE BASICS: Coffee from local, New York farm-roasters
Irving Farm and just check out the
drink menu if you want an idea of the plethora of options that await you. I go here at least once a week, and I still don’t think I have tried everything! Also, an enticing wine, beer and cava cocktail menu could be just what you need when you are approaching happy hour time.
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MUNCHIES: The sandwiches are from
Balthazar and
Amy’s Bread and the pastries from
Ceci Cela, and in our opinion, the Ceci Cela’s croissants could bring about world peace. They are that serious.
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Wi-Fi: Free and flowing – bring it!
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